February 29th wasn’t just any workout day in the Darien High School weight room for the football team — 60 players arrived ready to compete in a weightlifting fundraiser for a cause, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
— an announcement from the organizers
JDRF is the leading global organization funding Type 1 diabetes research, an autoimmune disease affecting millions of children and adults for which presently there is no cure.
From left: Jim Kirby, Melissa Kirby, Evan Kirby, Jill Waller from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and DHS Football Head Coach Andy Grant at Lift for a Cure
This is the seventhth year that DHS Football has held a player weightlifting competition to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For four years prior to that, they sponsored teams for the JDRF walk.
The cause was selected because it’s close to home for the team, with both players and players’ relatives being affected by the disease. Overall, the team has raised close to $125,000, including over $12,000 this year.
Cheering on the players at this year’s event was the Kirby family, whose son Evan is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and Jill Waller, the JDRF development coordinator for the Greater New York Metro Chapter.
Jason Kirby is a freshman football player. Parents Jim Kirby and Beth Hantman (parent of Hazel who also has Type 1 diabetes) spoke to the players earlier in the month about the challenges of the disease.
The 60 players on the DHS football team who participated in the JDRF Lift for a Cure event at Darien High School
“This is a favorite event for both players and coaches, Coach Andy Grant said. “The boys love the competition aspect, but knowing that it’s to benefit a great cause makes it even more motivating, especially after hearing families affected by the disease speak to them about it.
“It’s been another way for us to not only help the community, but also to show the team how it feels to make a positive impact on the community.”
Donations to JDRF are still being accepted here for this event. Any questions can be directed to darienbwfootball@gmail.com.